


Urchins of London

by Zoya1416



Category: Oxford Time Travel Universe - Connie Willis, Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Genre: Gen, PTSD, Urchins - Freeform, VE Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 16:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4229391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya1416/pseuds/Zoya1416
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas NIghtingale has retreated to the Folly after the end of the war. He doesn't intend to leave but an encounter with two small children changes his mind one day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Urchins of London

Thomas knew that the end of the war signal was intended for today. Thousands of people would be celebrating at front of St. Paul's, waiting in front of the cathedral for the all clear. They'd be other places, too, probably, filling the center of the city. He didn't plan to go out. For him, the war would never end, scarred as he was by the memory of Ettersberg and elsewhere. The Folly was enough for him now.

He heard a noise in the courtyard behind the Folly, and since there was no-one else to go (Molly was sticking even closer inside than he was), he went to investigate. Two grubby children, for whom the word "urchins" might have been created, were rooting through the trash cans.

Or one was, a boy about ten, and his slightly older-looking sister keeping lookout.

"There aren't any fireworks here!" She was yelling at him to come away.

"Wait a bit. I saw lights here, and I bet there is some."

There had never been any fireworks in the Folly, and for a moment Thomas was puzzled. Then he remembered that he'd put on a show for Molly yesterday, creating gentle lux balls and sending them circling around her. He'd changed the colors--yellow, pink, blue, red, green, and bounced them up and down, getting a rare giggle from that silent face. It was a moment of lightness and reprieve for both of them. Those might have been mistaken for fireworks, even though they were inside her room with only small windows. How did these little ones happen to see them?

"We gotta go. Eileen will be looking for us!"

The boy lifted his face from the trash can and glared at her.

Now that was a troublus one. Belligerent, face screwed up to yell back at his sister, give her back as good as he got. The child reminded him of all the cheeky youngsters who'd gone to war...but this one was here, vividly alive with a future in front of him.

He stepped out of the door towards them, and called, "Wait!" as they started to run.

Pulling a book of matches from his pocket, he tossed them to the boy. "Here. If you do find some fireworks, you'll need these."

"Ta, guv," the boy called as they raced towards St. Paul's.

These two would get a chance to grow up in the peace so many had died for, unless the boy got caught for more stealing. He hoped Eileen, whoever she was, could keep control of the little boy and herd him towards the good.

He went back to the Folly and up to his bedroom, picking out the finest of his suits, adjusting his waistcoat and tie to perfection and looked in the mirror. He hadn't taken this much care in his appearance in a long time, and it felt good. He picked up a pair of silver cufflinks, slipping them through their slots carefully, checking his sleeves. They he opened the door of the Folly and stepped out, walking towards Trafalgar Square, the noise and clamor. Maybe he'd spend a little time with others, being glad they had reason to celebrate, even if he couldn't feel happiness now himself. At least he'd have a few hours with the lights and bells, and fireworks, and the clamor that was not war, that was peace, that was exactly where he needed to be.


End file.
